Question:

<snip Nice read, Sam. — TL, Tim

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Howdy Sam     As a sometime resident of Pa. i have a camper in Coburn close to Penns Creek wife is from Scranton where would this lovely little stream be i would like to check it out. Email me if you want.                    Handyman Mike           Standing in a river waving a stick

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I finished up my summer vacation at my boyhood home in eastern Pennsylvania late in the evening of July 3. I planned to rise before dawn on Independence Day and fish my favorite little creek. [HISTORIC ASIDE] I fished this creek as a boy some twenty five years earlier. Then, it was at best, marginal water.  Smelly, appearing nearly devoid of anything alive, and in places, algae nearly choked the stream due to phosphate pollution from industry far upstream. But it had trout, and I could walk there. Twenty five years ago that’s all I needed. In the intervening years, I went off to college, moved several times, got married, and had several jobs. I visited the creek whenever I got back home. Never to fish, just to try to recapture some of those boyhood memories I guess.  Over the past 6 or 7 years, I noticed that the smell had gone and so did the algae. Not surprising, since the upstream industry, and all the related jobs, disappeared. That is why most of my contemporaries and I left the area in the first place. Over the past 3 years, I was able to follow stocking reports, Pennsylvania state water reports and even fishing reports via the internet.  The stream was definitely on the mend. In fact, recently it was supposed to be removed from the list stocked streams due to a "Class B or better designation, and sizable wild trout population" according to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PAFBC). The decision to not stock was later reversed because of a public outcry. Knowing some of the history of this stream, and knowing some of the troubles of the PAFBC, I was skeptical to say the least. [END OF HISTORICAL ASIDE] Before dawn came and went (as it sometimes does) and I was still in bed. However, I was on the creek by 6:00am. It was already hot, opressively hot. I was to pay dearly for that extra hour of sleep. Should have gotten up at 4:30 like the alarm clock said. It was the tail end of week long 90+ degree streak. The water had a good flow but promised little relief from the heat. As I entered the water, I was pleasantly surprised by the cool press of my breathables against my bare legs.  Stream thermometer read 66 degrees, not too shabby! I waded upstream about 100 yards or so, and stood in an ankle deep riffle. I gazed upstream at a 50 yard stretch of knee deep flat water, with another riffle at the head. There were about a dozen fish rising in front of me.  I could not tell what they were feeding on, but I did notice that most of the bugs I saw were gray. So I tied on a #16 gray EHC. There were at least two fish between the biggest riseform and myself, and it was under a low hanging branch.  Not going to get that one. I decided to cast to the closest one, which I spooked after a few casts.  I crept forward to cast to the next one that was still feeding.  On the second cast, there was a kamakazee rise to my fly.  As I set the hook, I thought "little fish, big ones don’t crash that hard…probably not a trout anyway". I had it, or wait, did it have me? It was not quite the little fish I imagined. After a savage but brief fight, I brought a beautifully colored, fully finned, and yes, wild 15 inch brown trout to hand. After a quick and admiring look, I released it, and it darted upstream.  I was so happy I laughed out loud. I waited for about 15 minutes for the fish to start rising again, but they never did.  It was 7:45am, and the heat was intensifiying.  I briefly though of moving on upstream, but then thought I should just go home. Landing more fish on that day would make me no happier.

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Question:

Oops!  I am sure glad that I am not required to understand the physics of fly casting in order to do it because if I was I would be in serious trouble. I try to keep it simple.  I fish, therefore I am. JK

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Bloody hell John, I hope you mean grains !  I would not like to try casting a fly-line weighing over a pound !  (Especially not from Airflo !! 500 grams would be 7716 grains !!!! 350 grains = 22.5  grams or 0.8 oz. TL MC — "Where fishing is concerned, most anglers are basically manic excessives" http://www.mikeconnor.de I have had very good experiences fishing the their fast sinking line. The design is similar to the Teeny in that it has a running (intermediate) line attached to a shooting head.  The version I have is about 500 grms. My experience is that this weight business differs wildly between fly lines. The Cortland line I have which I think is a 350 feels like 650.

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I have had very good experiences fishing the their fast sinking line.  The design is similar to the Teeny in that it has a running (intermediate) line attached to a shooting head.  The version I have is about 500 grms. My experience is that this weight business differs wildly between fly lines. The Cortland line I have which I think is a 350 feels like 650.

That’s interesting.  My Teeny 300 feels heavier than my Scientific Anglers Wet Cel 11 wt shooting head (nominally 330 grains – I haven’t weighed it because my scale is in storage in Michigan) on my 9 weight rod.  I’m not sure what it is.  IIRC Teeny’s prototypes were originally made by Sci Ang and might still be. (In fact, two years ago at a fly fishing show I asked a 3M rep all kinds of questions regarding splicing custom density compensated shooting heads and he sent me and assortment of 5 sinking fly lines that he had used for his research.  Three of them were 3M lines and two were Teenys).  Obviously the linear density of the Teeny line is greater since it’s 300 grains and 24 ft whereas the 11 wt Wet Cel is 330 grains over 30 feet.  The 11 wt is rated as a Type IV and not sure what the Teeny is.  The 11 wt is tapered and the Teeny is not. Airflo claims that their Depth Charge lines have the smallest diameter/grain weight ratio.  That might have something to do with your experiences. Mu, still searching for clues

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Throw him in the river and he will come up with

a fish in his mouth.                                   Arabian proverb.<   When I was a kid, growing up in Youngstown OH, we used to say (about someone we considered lucky), "If he fell in the Mahoning River, he’d come out with a fish in his pocket."  The M. was dead as a doornail from steel mill pollution in those days.  

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I have had very good experiences fishing the their fast sinking line.  The design is similar to the Teeny in that it has a running (intermediate) line attached to a shooting head.  The version I have is about 500 grms. My experience is that this weight business differs wildly between fly lines. The Cortland line I have which I think is a 350 feels like 650. My main concerns in these kinds of line are: 1. The most importand consideration is tangles.  I fish for striped bass off Cape Cod where the air temperature can vary from 95 degrees in summer to forty degrees in the fall.  I have found the Airflo to have the least tendency to tangle.  Since one of the main concerns in fishing fast sinking, shooting head lines is distance, this is a major concern.   I commonly have 70 feet of line to contend with when retrieving.  If the line tends to tangle you can find the day very frustrating and you can lose some nice fish if a tangle jams in your guides. 2. Finding the correct weight.  As noted above, I do not know how much the issue is actual weight and how much it is the way that weight is distributed but there is quite a range in the way these shooting head type lines feel to cast. I noticed on their web site that they are now guarranteeing their lines not to crack for five years. JK

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Ref other postings: Early airflo lines were terrible, not even much use as parcel string, came undone too easily. The modern ones are much better, quite usable in fact. Not as good as the best Cortland or Sci Anglers of course, but available here (uk) at competetive package prices. You gents in the US would balk at the prices we pay! Chris — Throw him in the river and he will come up with a fish in his mouth.                                                                 Arabian proverb. Where’s this river then? I hope its the Bow, Thompson or Vedder, which I aim to fish this summer.

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Bloody hell John, I hope you mean grains !  I would not like to try casting a fly-line weighing over a pound !  (Especially not from Airflo !! 500 grams would be 7716 grains !!!! 350 grains = 22.5  grams or 0.8 oz. TL MC — "Where fishing is concerned, most anglers are basically manic excessives" http://www.mikeconnor.de – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have had very good experiences fishing the their fast sinking line.  The design is similar to the Teeny in that it has a running (intermediate) line attached to a shooting head.  The version I have is about 500 grms. My experience is that this weight business differs wildly between fly lines. The Cortland line I have which I think is a 350 feels like 650.

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Hi Ref other postings: Early airflo lines were terrible, not even much use as parcel string, came undone too easily. The modern ones are much better, quite usable in fact. Not as good as the best Cortland or Sci Anglers of course, but available here (uk) at competetive package prices. You gents in the US would balk at the prices we pay! Chris — Throw him in the river and he will come up with a fish in his mouth.                                                                 Arabian proverb. Where’s this river then? I hope its the Bow, Thompson or Vedder, which I aim to fish this summer.

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Hi Ref other postings: Early airflo lines were terrible, not even much use as parcel string, came undone too easily. The modern ones are much better, quite usable in fact. Not as good as the best Cortland or Sci Anglers of course, but available here (uk) at competetive package prices. You gents in the US would balk at the prices we pay! Chris — Throw him in the river and he will come up with a fish in his mouth. Arabian proverb. Where’s this river then? I hope its the Bow, Thompson or Vedder, which I aim to fish this summer.

I bought an Airflo line last year at a sporting goods store that was getting out of the fishing business.  This particular shop specializes in hunting/shooting and apparently wasn’t very successful selling to anglers.  The line had been reduced in price three times to a final selling price of only $20.  For that price, I figured I couldn’t go wrong–so I bought it.  It’s a DT5F in a light brown color and so far it seems to work as advertised…  I’m probably not a good enough caster to be critiquing fly lines, but I don’t have any complaints about the Airflo line I’ve got. Tom G always looking for a good deal

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Question:

    I’m looking for plans for a small plywood flat- bottomed flyfishing pram. Something well thought out but easy to build by a ham handed handyman. Is there anything available on the net? Al.

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Try http://www.glen-l.com/ . I haven’t used them, but am seriously considering. They have a nice selection of plans, pictures, and instructions. Tim Lysyk

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –     I’m looking for plans for a small plywood flat- bottomed flyfishing pram. Something well thought out but easy to build by a ham handed handyman. Is there anything available on the net? Al.

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Question:

I don’t have any experience with a Pack, but I think it would be a BIG mistake to buy a short wide boat unless you were really certain you needed to for some specific reason. There are many longer boats that are stable enough to stand up in and easy to paddle solo (Camper for one), and you sacrifice so much in speed and fun and tracking by having a fat short boat. Also seems like to me that having to reach out far enough to paddle such a wide boat would be very tiring. I wouldn’t even consider buying a Pack without a good bit of demo and comparison…. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am looking for a lightweight single canoe for paddling and fly fishing.  I am interested in the Old Town Pack model.  I had an experienced paddler tell me that they are very tippy?  Anyone have experience paddling one of these littl e beauties? Thanks, Paul

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I am looking for a lightweight single canoe for paddling and fly fishing.  I am interested in the Old Town Pack model.  I had an experienced paddler tell me that they are very tippy?  Anyone have experience paddling one of these littl e beauties? Thanks, Paul

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Paul I’ve fished out of one for years. It doesn’t actually belong to me but a friend lets me use it. I use on section of creek that is class II ww and have no problem. As a matter of fact it is the boat that introduced me to solo ww paddling I now own a Dagger Ovation OC1. The boat can be a little tippy but it tracks well and if you’ve kayaked you will have no trouble fishing from it. I usually kneel and have glued some pads in it for more comfort. Bill Pierskalla

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Question:

I’ll be in southern Alabama in July–Eastern Mobile Bay/Gulf Shores area–and in addition to surf fishing hope to do some flyfishing as well. Has anyone had any experience in this area? Any locations to recommend? I’ve noted a Weeks Bay wildlife area, as well as some other bays and lagoons…what’s running in July and what flys will call up the fish? Any info is appreciated, and thanks.         JK/Newport, KY

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I’ll be in southern Alabama in July–Eastern Mobile Bay/Gulf Shores area–and in addition to surf fishing hope to do some flyfishing as well. Has anyone had any experience in this area? Any locations to recommend? I’ve noted a Weeks Bay wildlife area, as well as some other bays and lagoons…what’s running in July and what flys will call up the fish? Any info is appreciated, and thanks.

I have fished Fort Morgan & Gulf Shores area for many years.  A few years ago I began Saltwater Fly fishing with decent success.  If you fish early in the morning and late in the afternoon you stand a chance of catching Bluefish, Skipjack (ladyfish), occasional redfish, and speckled trout.  Mostly fish clouser minnows, and basically any minnow pattern in white or yellow base color.  We have had much luck attaching a popper to the line about 18 to 24 inches above the fly.  If you happen to catch a school of feeding fish close to the beach, you are in for much excitement.  Plan on using a shooting taper line or a floating line with a sink tip.  The wind can be tough at times and casting is a bear.  Best of Luck,  BCC

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Question:

Does anyone know of some good sites to find some cool graphics(not too big) for my web page I’m designing? Thanks! Go UT Lady Vols!!!

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Does anyone know of some good sites to find some cool graphics(not too big) for my web page I’m designing? Thanks! Go UT Lady Vols!!!

Try this page, should keep you busy for awile: http://www.fishnet.net/~gini/cool/ Max

http:/www.inetarena.com/~mwi "…there are only two things in life worth getting excited about – fly fishing is the other one…"

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Question:

The title just about says it all.  I’m just starting out fly fishing for steelheads and am planning to haunt the NE Ohio/ NW PA lake Erie tribs in the near future.  Any information, stories, suggestions, or stern warnings would be appreciated. —                        http://members.tripod.com/~trunculo/index

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Watch the weather…  I don’t know how far you will be driving, but you don’t want to have to go back home and get an ice pick.. Actually, this Winter has offered more open water than any in my memory.  PA stream conditions are posted intermittently at the NWPA Chapter of TU web site.  I do not have the url handy, but just put Northwest PA Chapter Trout Unlimited into any of the popular search engines and you will get there.

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Thanks for the tips.  As luck would have it, I drove up there last week and found myself trying to calculate just how much split shot would be required to sink my egg pattern through several feet of slush to where the fishies are.  Oh well, Elk Creek is very pretty and I’ll be heading back up there. On the way home, I stopped by a local (Clear Fork Creek, by Mansfield, OH) trout stream and did pretty well on olive woolly buggers.  Life could be _much_ worse. : Watch the weather…  I don’t know how far you will be driving, but you don’t : want to have to go back home and get an ice pick.. : Actually, this Winter has offered more open water than any in my memory.  PA : stream conditions are posted intermittently at the NWPA Chapter of TU web site. :  I do not have the url handy, but just put Northwest PA Chapter Trout Unlimited : into any of the popular search engines and you will get there. —                        http://members.tripod.com/~trunculo/index

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Sorry to post a double follow-up, but that url is http://www.tu.org/index.html    Thanks for the tip! : Watch the weather…  I don’t know how far you will be driving, but you don’t : want to have to go back home and get an ice pick.. : Actually, this Winter has offered more open water than any in my memory.  PA : stream conditions are posted intermittently at the NWPA Chapter of TU web site. :  I do not have the url handy, but just put Northwest PA Chapter Trout Unlimited : into any of the popular search engines and you will get there. —                        http://members.tripod.com/~trunculo/index

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Question:

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http://www.execpc.com./~glsfc/fish-wisc.

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I am planning a trip to Mayville WI. sometime in the spring or summer. I want to do a little flyfishing need a little help on where to go in the area. Mayville is due south of Fond du Lac maybe 20 miles and west of Hywy 41 by about 10 or so. I havent been there for 30 years but want to combine a trip to visit relatives with some fishing. I live in Seattle and do mostly lake fishing here and I want to do river or stream fishing back there… My fishing is for small fish. Hopefully trout but bass or blugill would be OK. I am going to use a 8 ft. 5 wt. fly rod. I would really like to do only streams as that is what I want to learn. I will have to rent a car there so a hours drive would be just perfect. 2 hours would be pushing it but possible if the reward was there.

Martin:         Let me do a little thinking and map looking and I’ll get back to you. I’m not in that area but know of it and might be able to help. A couple of nice streams suggest themselves right off but I’d rather try to look first and advise later rather than mucking things up the other way around.         You know one of the problems with doing what you are thinking of doing can be best realized by imagining a guy coming to your area and trying to have a good time of it without a scintilla of the hard-won experience you’ve got as to where to go, when, using what equipment, flies, etc., etc. I.e., it might make sense to think about getting a guide if you can swing the dough? Even if only for a 1/2 day (if they go along with same); sometimes they can turn you on to just enough that you can take it from there.         But I’ll get back to you with what I can dig up about the area you’ll be visiting in any case. Tom Burczyk The workings of great institutions is mainly the result of a vast mass of routine, petty malice, self-interest, carelessness, and sheer mistake. Only a residual fraction is thought." Santayana

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Try this site: — http://www.execpc.com/~glsfc/fish_wi

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am planning a trip to Mayville WI. sometime in the spring or summer. I want to do a little flyfishing need a little help on where to go in the area. Mayville is due south of Fond du Lac maybe 20 miles and west of Hywy 41 by about 10 or so. I havent been there for 30 years but want to combine a trip to visit relatives with some fishing. I live in Seattle and do mostly lake fishing here and I want to do river or stream fishing back there. Any suggestions? Martin:         You might want to indicate what kind of fishing you are interested in. For steelhead/salmon on Lake Michigan’s tribs, or inland? Warmwater or cold? How far you willing to travel? tgb

My fishing is for small fish. Hopefully trout but bass or blugill would be OK. I am going to use a 8 ft. 5 wt. fly rod. I would really like to do only streams as that is what I want to learn. I will have to rent a car there so a hours drive would be just perfect. 2 hours would be pushing it but possible if the reward was there. Thanks for the suggestion.

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I am planning a trip to Mayville WI. sometime in the spring or summer. I want to do a little flyfishing need a little help on where to go in the area. Mayville is due south of Fond du Lac maybe 20 miles and west of Hywy 41 by about 10 or so. I havent been there for 30 years but want to combine a trip to visit relatives with some fishing. I live in Seattle and do mostly lake fishing here and I want to do river or stream fishing back there. Any suggestions? Martin — Martin Jensen

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I am planning a trip to Mayville WI. sometime in the spring or summer. I want to do a little flyfishing need a little help on where to go in the area. Mayville is due south of Fond du Lac maybe 20 miles and west of Hywy 41 by about 10 or so. I havent been there for 30 years but want to combine a trip to visit relatives with some fishing. I live in Seattle and do mostly lake fishing here and I want to do river or stream fishing back there. Any suggestions?

Martin:         You might want to indicate what kind of fishing you are interested in. For steelhead/salmon on Lake Michigan’s tribs, or inland? Warmwater or cold? How far you willing to travel? tgb

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Question:

i am looking for a recommendation for a guide for steelhead fishing on the north oregon coast. i will be in portland around xmas and would be grateful for any help in this regard.       thanks         greg

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i am looking for a recommendation for a guide for steelhead fishing on the north oregon coast. i will be in portland around xmas and would be grateful for any help in this regard.       thanks         greg

Check out TK Flysupply’s web page at: http://ourworld.compuserve.com:80/homepages/tk_flyshop/ I went fishing on one of the North Oregon coast streams with Kendall Lee a few weeks ago and caught a bright 20# Chinook. Kendall is a flyfishing pro and part time guide. He knows the rivers and can get you into fish. Your visit to Portland is timed right for early winter stealhead fishing. Should be a great time to fish. —        * * *  Some days I’d rather just give up and go fishing * * * Doug Freeman

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i am looking for a recommendation for a guide for steelhead fishing on the north oregon coast. i will be in portland around xmas and would be grateful for any help in this regard.       thanks         greg

Hi Greg: You might try calling Glenn Young.  He may not be actively guiding anymore, but can probably recommend someone to you.  He used to specialize in northern Oregon coastal fly fishing.  His number is 503-642-4570.  Best of luck!!! Paul

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Greg — Mark Bachmann at the Flyfishing Shop in Welches is one of the best, especially if you want to fish the Sandy in a drift boat.  The shop’s web page address is — http://www.teleport.com/~flyfish/index.html and the telephone number is — (503) 622-4607. Have fun. Rob – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i am looking for a recommendation for a guide for steelhead fishing on the north oregon coast. i will be in portland around xmas and would be grateful for any help in this regard.       thanks         greg Hi Greg: You might try calling Glenn Young.  He may not be actively guiding anymore, but can probably recommend someone to you.  He used to specialize in northern Oregon coastal fly fishing.  His number is 503-642-4570.  Best of luck!!! Paul

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Question:

I have an upcoming business trip to Ann Arbor, MI (May 22-26) and am wondering whether to bring the rod…..   Can anybody on the net suggest some nice trout waters within a 2 hours radius of Ann Arbor?  (Thanks, but the Au Sable is too far away, some other time perhaps) Perhaps also a Ann Arbor fly shop? If I get some suggestions, I’d stay an extra day…. Please email, thanks, -PWM Nat’l Center for Atmos Research    voice:  (303) 497-1293 Scientific Computing Division     Consulting Office

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Fly-sishing for trout is out if you are looking to fish in a two hour radius of Ann Arbor.   If you want to fly-fish for Bass in the huron River, call MacGregor’s out doors on Mainstreet (an Orvis shop) and ask for Mac Richardson. He and his son know where to fish for small mouth on the Huron.   GaryLarry

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